Why the impacts of climate change may make us less likely to reduce emissions | Global Sustainability | Cambridge Core

 

We are currently divided 49% to 49% between those who want more offshore oil and gas in the USA and those who don’t with 2% undecided. Yes, a solid 72% think global warming is happening, but on 57% (and likely less) ascribe that to human intervention and 47% think climate change will harm them personally prior to death. Certainly not mandate to do anything. Meanwhile as inequality increases and oligarchs help create beneficial (to them) political dysfunctionality even greater stressors may turn even more away from supporting rational and empathetic policies to address the serious problems. Not to mention that the USA is not a democracy, but rather a civic (plutocratic) oligarchy that is moving in the direction of authoritarian type systems with fascist and theocratic underpinnings. This short paper makes much sense to me. A rational warning that as climate gets worse, sociopolitical system feedbacks along with earth system feedbacks will work in the same direction towards greater climate forcings. LS